Measuring Skype's Customer Base and Ecosystem

Patterns of Usage and Growth

What is a "Real User"? 

It is not a measurement of Skype's registered users or paying customers.  Neither is it a measure of "active" users, but we believe it approximates "active users" if there were a definition of such. "Real user" is a calibrated measurement of peak daily usage at each hour around the world.  Calibration is based on independent survey results of "active users" from 2003-2005.   Raw data has been gathered and plotted continuously from 2004 to the present. 

Graphs and Charts

"Skype Online Now" is a graph of concurrent Skype users.  It is updated  every 15 minutes.  It illustrates the fluctuation of usage throughout the day as users around the world log in and log off.  The "Real Users" statistic, which is drawn from this raw data shows the long-term growth of Skype usage and how it breaks down between geographically; The Americas, Europe/Africa, Asia/Pacific.  

Demographics - what the statistics mean

We make great efforts to study patterns of Skype usage. Interesting measurement studies of Skype usage have been made in which we compare usage year-to-year, season-to-season, weekday-to-weekend, and hour-to-hour. By measuring the size of usage gaps and when they occur, we are able to estimate the size of various demographic groups among "real users" such as regions of the world and whether they are business users, non-business users, or persistent users (online 24/7).   We are also able to measure seasonality and long-term trends.  Analysis is published periodically on our blog, and commissioned studies can be made upon request.

Gaps in the numbers - Do they matter?

Basically, no.  We have been gathering Skype statistics since 2003.  For the most part, the weekly and seasonal patterns that existed then have continued through 2009.  The daily peaks and troughs occur at about the same time, the effects of holidays are the same, and the relative activity of Skype users in the Americas, Europe/Africa, and Asia/Pacific has changed only slightly.  In gathering stats, we therefore sometimes take a few days off and the pattern is still there when they resume.  

Ckipe's Skype statistics and the term "real user" are copyright @2009 H. Barton